Dancing Queen
by LunaRowena
Summary: Emily shrugged. "I've led armies. I figure I can handle impersonating a dancer for under an hour. Those guys I overheard said that Vogga just falls asleep to the rhythmic swaying of dancers' arms, so as long as I put on something skimpy and can wave my arms in time with the music I should manage." Atton wasn't sure if he loved this plan or hated this plan.


Either he had been transported to an alternate universe, or this universe was weirder than he had known until now. "Let me get this straight," said Atton, only just loud enough to make himself heard over the noise of the cantina, "you, the goody-two-shoes Jedi–"

"Ex-Jedi," interjected Emily.

"–want to break into Vogga's back room and you're going to do this by dancing him to sleep and then poisoning his Kath Hounds–"

"More like drugging, but–"

"And then what? Just waltz into the back room?"

"We'll wing it when we get to that point."

"Wing it. Great." He stared across the cantina table at her. "Do you even know how to dance?"

Emily shrugged. "I've led armies. I figure I can handle impersonating a dancer for under an hour. Those guys I overheard said that Vogga just falls asleep to the rhythmic swaying of dancers' arms, so as long as I put on something skimpy and can wave my arms in time with the music I should manage."

Atton wasn't sure if he loved this plan or hated this plan.

"Look, Atton," She leaned forward on the table, "we need to know what information Vogga has locked away. Let me worry about me. While I'm chatting up that guy," she jerked her head in the direction of a blue Twi'lek across the room, "who looks to be auditioning dancers, I need you to obtain a bottle of Juma Juice from the bartender. Do you think you can do that for me?"

For someone raised by space monks, she sure knew how to use those big, blue eyes. Maybe she could pull this off if she just fluttered her lashes enough. He tipped back on the chair legs and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Just don't be too good in case Vogga decides he wants to keep you."

She laughed. "I don't think we have to worry about that. Wish me luck," and she flashed him a smile that should also be illegal for space monks before her face settled into the grim determination he had come to know so well as she strode across the room.

He glanced over at Kreia, who had been unusually quiet during this conversation. Her face was as inscrutable as always. Maybe she agreed with him, but she wouldn't be caught dead admitting that out loud. He let the chair fall back to all four legs. "Right. I'll just… do that, then."

The bartender of course had Juma Juice and Atton was able to haggle him down from his original outrageous asking price. Turning to head back to the table, he noticed Kreia had migrated across the room towards the collection of auditioning girls. He quickly banished the thought of a dancing Kreia from his mind and started nonchalantly heading over. Emily wasn't anywhere to be seen and there was no need to stand awkwardly with Kreia, after all. He looked down at the bottle of Juma Juice. Why was he doing this? Kreia was distracted. Emily was gone. He could slip out before either of them noticed. _Blackmail_ , his thoughts told him. _And the_ Hawk _is one of the few tickets off this rock._ _And, if I'm being completely honest with myself, those big, blue eyes._ He pushed back at his thoughts. No need to start the trend of being honest with himself now.

After dragging out his path across the cantina into the most circuitous route he could manage, he still wound up waiting next to Kreia before Emily had returned. Kreia ignored him. He ignored her. He could handle her a lot better if this was how she was all the time.

"You two don't have to look so dour. We're going to go party, not go to a funeral."

Atton did a double take. It was Emily. Someone had attacked her face with makeup implements and it, well, it didn't look bad necessary but it was completely alien to her face. And her outfit… her underwear had covered more than this outfit. Not that he didn't appreciate the view, but the years of war had not been kind to her body and a network of scars interlaced across her torso. It didn't look like it fit quite right either, and she kept shifting her weight back and forth from one foot to the other. "You looked more comfortable taking on droids in your underwear with a plasma torch."

"That's because my underwear is more comfortable!" She blew a lock of hair out of her eyes that looked like it had been hastily curled. "I bummed a razor off one of the girls to dry shave areas I don't usually worry about shaving, so that's going to itch like hell tomorrow. Not to mention the tape."

"Tape?"

"You think this stayed on like this by itself?"

Atton decided this was a question to which there was no correct answer

"Perfect!" the blue Twi'lek sidled over. "Vogga will be very pleased."

"I hope so," Emily simpered. There it was with the eyelashes.

"Follow me. I will escort you to see Vogga. Do not be nervous, or he will not be pleased," and the Twi'lek ushered Emily away. Kreia started following and, after shaking his head, Atton started after them.

They walked.

"I hope you know what you're doing, child," muttered Kreia, speaking for the first time.

"At least I'm sure Atton will appreciate it, since Atton appreciates me breathing," said Emily.

"You do breathe very nicely."

"Thanks, love," she winked at him.

Kreia turned to look at him with as much disdain as a person with half of their face covered could muster.

The blue Twi'lek seemed to have no problem with Atton and Kreia, who had never actually been introduced to him, tagging along into Vogga's chambers. _With the security here, maybe Vogga deserves to get robbed_ , Atton thought. And then there he was, Vogga the Hutt. Pretty much the same as any other Hutt. He lounged on cushions, surrounded by Kath hounds and one very bored looking Twi'lek girl.

The blue Twi'lek man stepped forward. "Master, I have found for you an exquisite girl," he announced. "Her skill and beauty will surely prove to be pleasing to your Eminence."

Emily was biting her lip in concentration as she tried to surreptitiously adjust her top.

"Send her in," said Vogga. "I would much rather see her dance than listen to your tired recitations."

"Dump the Juma Juice when everyone's distracted," murmured Emily before striding forward with a painfully fake smile plastered across her face. She stopped in front of Vogga. The music started.

Atton stared, forgetting about the Juma Juice. She was… bad. There was no other way to say it. Her fake smile had faded and she wore the same expression as when she was prepped for battle. Her definition of dancing appeared to consist of stepping from side to side and waving her arms. That she was mostly in time to the music was about the nicest thing he could say. It wasn't even a very fluid movement of her arms, but rather jerky.

Even the bored orange Twi'lek was staring, one eyebrow raised. Atton took the opportunity to dump the Juma Juice in an urn in the corner. The Kath hounds came over to sniff it before gulping it down greedily. Vogga continued to watch Emily. She wasn't going to continue like this the entire time, was she?

Apparently she was.

Atton lost track of the time, lost in the hell that was the Jedi Exile attempting to dance. But eventually, eventually Vogga's eyes began to droop and not long after he began to snore. The Juma Juice filled Kath hounds snored with him.

The blue Twi'lek coughed, looking nervous and disappointed. "I apologize. My master frequently becomes drowsy watching dancers. Your services are complete, allow me to pay you for your… performance." He shoved some credits at Emily. "I'm… sure my master would ask me to convey his… compliments. Now, if you will excuse me, I must attend to other business." He hurried away.

"Well, I guess I get to keep the outfit," said Emily. She grabbed her pack from Kreia and started pulling her clothes out.

"Please," said Atton as Emily pulled her clothes on over the dancer's outfit. "Promise me you will never do that again."

She raised an eyebrow. "Jealous?"

"More along the lines of 'don't quit your day job.'"

She snorted. "Well, I was sufficiently, mediocrely competent," she gestured to Vogga. "Come on, let's do what we came here to do."

Atton tried to chat up the Twi'lek girl to distract from Emily slicing the lock in the background, but she seemed completely uninterested in anything he had to say. Luckily for them, she also seemed completely uninterested in anything the group was doing in the room.

The trio left Vogga's headquarters. "Was it worth it?" Atton asked Emily.

She rolled her eyes. "For what we found? Probably not. For the look on your face? Quite possibly." She shook her head. "I definitely need a drink after this. Let's call ourselves off the clock."

Kreia turned off towards the _Hawk_.

Atton fell into step besides Emily. "I would have thought you'd want to get out of that thing as soon as possible."

"I'm putting off that struggle. I thought you said you'd take the first opportunity on Nar Shaddaa to hit the red light district?"

He shook his head. "Watching you today has ruined my fantasy of dancing girls."

"Cantina it is, then."


End file.
